The New Orleans Saints are bringing one of their own back home — but only after he took an unusual tour through the rest of the NFC South.
Veteran linebacker Deion Jones, a New Orleans native and former LSU standout, is signing a one-year deal with the Saints, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on August 7. The move gives Jones something few players can claim: He has now been with all four NFC South franchises after previous stops with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For New Orleans, the signing also adds another experienced option to a linebacker room undergoing a significant transition in 2026.
Deion Jones Finally Lands With His Hometown Saints
Schefter noted the personal significance of the move when reporting the agreement.
Jones was born in New Orleans, grew up there and played at Jesuit High School before staying in Louisiana for college at LSU. Yet his NFL career began with one of the Saints’ biggest rivals.
Atlanta selected Jones in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, and he quickly developed into one of the Falcons’ most productive defensive players.
Jones recorded 101 tackles and three interceptions as a rookie before producing a career-high 132 tackles and three more interceptions in 2017. He was selected to the Pro Bowl that season.
His Atlanta tenure lasted through 2021. Jones then played for the Cleveland Browns in 2022 before beginning the rest of his tour through the NFC South.
He appeared in 13 games for Carolina in 2023, recording 30 tackles, six passes defensed and an interception. Jones then joined Tampa Bay late in 2024 and returned to play all 17 games for the Buccaneers in 2025.
New Orleans was the only division stop missing.
Until now.
That gives the transaction a particularly unusual symmetry: Jones spent the prime of his career trying to beat the Saints with Atlanta, later suited up for Carolina and Tampa Bay, and will now get his first opportunity to play for the team from his hometown.
Saints Add Experience to Linebacker Room After Demario Davis Exit
The Saints also have a practical reason to keep adding experience at linebacker.
New Orleans lost longtime defensive leader Demario Davis in March when he signed with the New York Jets. Davis had started all 17 games for the Saints in 2025 and led the team with 143 tackles, marking an eighth consecutive season in which he led New Orleans in tackles.
The Saints responded by reuniting with Kaden Elliss, who spent his first four NFL seasons in New Orleans before starting all 51 games he played during a three-year run with Atlanta. Elliss returned on a multi-year contract in March.
The Saints themselves have cautioned against viewing Elliss as a one-for-one replacement for Davis, however, noting this offseason that there will be overlap in their responsibilities without expecting Elliss to fill the entire leadership void by himself.
Pete Werner also remains one of the established pieces of the group. The sixth-year linebacker has appeared in 73 games with 63 starts for New Orleans and finished last season with 81 tackles.
Jones now gives defensive coordinator Brandon Staley another veteran to evaluate as that group takes shape.
The Saints have not yet released their official 2026 depth chart, making it premature to assign Jones a specific role. His recent production also suggests expectations should be measured.
Jones finished 2025 with 24 tackles in 17 appearances for Tampa Bay, well below the triple-digit tackle totals he regularly produced earlier in his career.
That makes him more naturally viewed as experienced competition and potential depth than as an automatic replacement for Davis.
Still, there is plenty of experience for New Orleans to work with. Jones has accumulated 702 tackles, 13 interceptions, 53 passes defensed and five interception-return touchdowns across 128 regular-season games.
And after a career that has taken him all around the NFC South, his newest stop is finally the one closest to home.
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